Cable-equalizer



G. A. TAYLOR.

CABLE EQUALIZER. APPLICATION F|L0.1AN. |7,1921.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

GORE-AM A. TAYLOR, OF DULUTH,

CABLE-EQUALIZER.

Application filed January 17, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Gourmet a citizen of the United States, Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable- Equalizers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to draft equalizing devices and has special reference to such a device in connection with two parallel lines in which the pulling stress is in the same direction, such as are employed on what is known as a twin cable dipper dredge, used in deepening harbors or the like, and, while I have illustrated the device as used in connection with this particular art, it is evident that the same may be employed where equalization of the pulling stress upon lines used for other purposes is desired.

The ordinary dredge, which is known as a twin cable dredge, that is one provided with a double cable leading forwardly from the pulling drum and controlling the dipper of the dredge, has in reality but a single cable for this purpose, which extends for wardly from one side of the winding drum outwardly along the boom and through what it known as the padlock or padlock sheave directly connected with the bail of the dipper of the dredge and back again, along slde of the other portion of the line, to the other side of the differential pulling drum; thus, when the drum is wound or unwound, the two sides of the cable operate simultaneously in like directions. While such dredges are known as twin cable, they have, as before stated, cable which operates the dipper, and, in the event of this cable being broken at any point, the entire cable becomes a loss unless it may be successfully spliced, which is not considered practical.

The equalizing device, in such a c0mbination, is the padlock sheave above referred to about which the line passes, and is free to alternately reciprocate as desired.

lVithin the peculiar construction of the sheave and the device directly cotiperative therewith resides my present invention, the principal object of which is to provide simple means whereby the use of two separate pulling lines may be employed, so that in the event of one becoming broken or in A. TAYLOR, residing at Specification of Letters Patent.

but a single Patented Dec. 6, 1921. Serial No. 437,781.

any way inoperative, it will not directly affect the other, or prevent its functioning. Another object is to provide means whereby the wear, incident to the operation of such an equalizing device, is reduced to a minimum. Still other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the further description thereof.

11 the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure l is a side elevation of the equalizing padlock or sheave block, it being partly roken away to show in full lines the relative position of the chain which is reeved within the block;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the block with the chain removed therefrom; and

Fig. 3 is a reduced diagrammatic plan view'of a marine twin cable, dipper dredge.

The padlock or block comprises two spaced vertically elongated preferably octagonally shaped side members 1 and 2, intermediate of which the circumferentially grooved sheave 3 is pivotally mounted upon the pin 4. Intermediate posed corners of the side of the block are; securely fixed the arcuately shaped chafing shoes 5, they being held in position by the suitable through bolts 6. These shoes each have a groove 7 formed in their opposed arcuate faces, said grooves being slmilar in depth and size to the groove 8 1n the sheave 3 and a short piece of chain 9 is reeved about the sheave 3 and brought up upon both sides thereof intermediate of the shoes 5 and against which it bears.

The uppermost links 10 of the chain 9 are elongated and preferably larger at their upper ends than at their lower ends, to provide for ample wearing surface upon the transverse holding pins flatten the wearing face of the upper por tion of the links 10 which bear downwardly upon the pin 11 so that the link has a full bearing face thereupo The pins 11 ex tend through the jaws 12 of the open jawed cable socket 13 intermediate of which the links 10 are carried and form a secure pivotal contact with said sockets. The twin cables are illustrated at 14 and 15, they bein as before stated, properly termed twin ca les for they are alike in all respects and extend upwardly and rearwardly along the members 1 and 2 of the upper op-,

11, and I prefer to boom 16 of the dredged? to the pulling drum 18 thereupon; the dipper of the dredge 7 being shown at 19 and the .bail thereof at 7 being ample to provide for application,

20, to which the equalizer or padlock block is attached in the usual manner.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing the equalizing block is illustrated at 21.

One of the principal features ofthis invention is the extension ofithe pins 11. sufficiently far beyond the spaced jaws of the sockets to prevent the chain being pulled downwardly through. the padlock by said extending ends of the pin ridin upon the upper e ges of the sides 1 and 2 of the equalizing block in the eventof one of the cables breaking and the normal distance of thepinsabove the upper edge of the block any equalizing action of the chain.

A semi-circularly shaped channelbar 22 is securely fixed intermediate of the side members 1 and 2 of the block below the sheave 3 and concentric therewith to act as a guide for the chain 9 and to prevent its possible jumpingout of. the sheave 3, but which guide is not as the same is known to be old;

From the foregoing it is, evident that I have devised a simple equalizing block for two u1ling cables which will provide ample equa ization of any differential strain which may occur upon the lines,

considered new in this.

and that, in. the

event of either line breaking, theopposite line will be automatically prevented from (lisenga ement withthe block, the advantaggs 0 which are obvious.

' 2. The combination w1th"a twin cable dredge of the character described having an equalizing padlock cooperatively connecting the dipper of the dredge with the twin cables and'a reevedichain within the padlock uniting the ends of the twin cables, of means cooperatively engaged with the padlock to prevent one of the cables from being disengaged other cable being broken. In testimony whereof I hereunto; afiix my signaturein the presenceof two-witnesses.

GORH MA; TAYLOR.

VltIlGSSGSL I '7 S. BRONSON,

G110. STnvnNe.

from the pad-lock inthe event of the 

